La Rivière

The female nude is the subject of nearly all of Maillol’s mature work. Although most of his sculptures are characterized by stillness, serenity and emotional restraint, La Rivière departs from those ideals. The artist creates the feeling of instability and movement by placing the figure low to the ground and extending the head and arms beyond the pedestal. The figure, with its legs bent in a pose that suggests running, is the personification of water.

About the artist:

Aristide Maillol

Artist Bio: 1861-1944

Maillol was born in France in 1861. He studied sculpture at the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs in 1883. Until his death in 1944, Maillol took on many high-profile commissions and generated an impressive body of work complimented by Rodin himself. In 1994, the Maillol Museum was inaugurated in Banyuls, France.